Jan. 14, 2013

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How to donate

• Walk-in blood donors are welcomed weekdays at the Garth Englund center inside Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland and the Fort Collins center, 1025 Pennock Place, Suite 104. The center is two blocks north of Poudre Valley Hospital. Operating hours vary. • Appointments to donate blood may be made by calling the center in Fort Collins, (970) 495-8965, or in Loveland, (970) 624-1550. • To donate, a person must be at least 18 years old or 17 with a parent’s permission. Photo identification is required. • Information: pvhs.org/bloodcenter

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A short supply of blood for transfusions and surgeries at local hospitals has prompted a plea for donations from the public.

Officials with the Garth Englund Blood Center say Poudre Valley Hospital and Medical Center of the Rockies are facing a critical shortage of blood.

Blood donations typically drop off during the holidays and pick up again in January, but that has not happened this year, said Mandi Bornhoeft, Garth Englund manager, in a news release.

“Many community members have been avid donors, but we need more people to join in this important way to help others in our community,” she said.

All blood types are needed, but the most critical needs are for O positive and O negative.

The center receives about 9,700 pints, or units, of donated blood each year. But more than 12,000 units are needed annually.

The difference is purchased from other blood centers, with the cost ranging from $280 for a pint of red blood cells to $690 for platelets, according to the center.

Local shortages can happen several times during a year.

“Maintaining an adequate supply of blood is getting tougher every year,” Bornhoeft said.